Impact separator



April 14, 1931. c G. HAwLEY IMPACT SEPARTOR Filed Deo. 10. 1927 wunoc CWZQS @Wan/ley. @351, 25-17 d myn/mmm Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATIEN'I` OFFICE CHARLES GILBERT I-IAWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRIFIX COR- PORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, CORPORATION OF OHIO IMPACT SEPARATOR Application led December 10, 1927. Serial No. 239,183.

This invention relates to improvements in the means employed for removing water and oil from compressed air which is to be used in paint sprayers and like small users of compressed air.

Such air users are characterized by eX- tremely small air emission nozzles but are commonly supplied with compressed air through the medium of pipes of common and convenient sizes having cross-sectional areas which so greatly exceed the area of the ultimate nozzle or emission opening that the movement of the air through the pipe is too slow to admit of the edective employmentl of any ordinary separator in advance of the sprayer or other small user of air. `Water and oil may in some measure be trapped in such separators but by wall creepage and otherwise too much moisture is permitted to reach the atomizing nozzle.

The object of this invention is to .provide a separator that shall be peculiarly efficient and adapted for use in advance of such small users of air, and whereby the diiiiculties com monly encountered shall be obviated.

Primarily the invention comprises a sepai rator adapted for attachment or inclusion in a pipe line of common size but having an ad mission passage of its own which is little larger than the emission orifice of the paint sprayer, or like, with which it is to be used. Instead of being an enlargment of the pipe line as is common in separators, the separator of this invention is distinguished by a downwardly extending admission nozzle, the cross i section of which is only a few times larger than the cross section of the ultimate emission nozzle to be served. The separator' includes a capacious collecting chamber below said nozzle. The outlet of the separator is in the top of said chamber and above the delivery end of the nozzle. By means of this arrangement the air, in advance of the point of use, is caused to enter a collecting chamber at very high velocity and is immediately permitted to expand enormously in said chamber, so that the air almost instantly loses its velocity and hence its capacity to convey moisture in suspension. Meantime the contained water and'oil globules are forcibly thrown against the walls of the chamber or against suitable material which. loosely fills the chamber, and the liquids adhere thereto; leaving only clean dry air for departure from the top of the chamber. The invention also preferably includes a. creepage preventing flange positioned in the upper part of the chamber, and which contains an opening so large that it does not interfere with the free and slow movement of the clean `air toward the outlet, and yet said rib is sufciently eX- tensive and so advantageously disposed as to defeat the upward creepage of moisture to any extent that would permit it to leave the outlet of the separator.

Separators embodying this invention are extremely simple in construction; are of low cost, light weight and very efficient. The general characteristics of the invention and its specially novel features will best be une derstood by reference to the drawingsthat form `part of this specification; in which:- Fig. l is a vertical section of a typical compressed air cleaner embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the line 4--4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 illustrates a combined nozzle plug and anti-creepage flange; and, Fig. 6 illustrates a separator head equipped with its own stop valve and adapted for insertion at the top of any suitable collecting chamber.

As here shown, the separator or compressed air cleaner of preferred form comprises only three parts; first, a chambered body 2 adapted to sustain the high pressures involved; second, an admission nozzle member 3, which is sealedl within a ported neck 4 that is integral with the body 2; and, third,

a drain valve, marked 5, which is the only movable member of the device. The neck 4 contains a central bore 6 that is enlarged in its upper part to provide the annular shoulder 7 The upper part o-f the bore contains the plug 3 which is driven into the same to make a tight joint with the neck 4 and is seated on the shoulder 7. Before the plug is inserted it is provided with the inlet passage 8 which communicates with the com- .lull

pressed air supply pipe 9. It is also pro-A vided with a central bore 10 which receives the upper end of the restrictedV nozzley 11, above mentioned. In addition the plug contains the passage 12 which opens upward through the bottom thereof and is in coin munication with the off-take pipe 13. After the plug is inserted with itsbores or .ports in register with respective ports 9 and 13 in the neck, the ,plug is nally Asealed 'and held against internal pressure Yby 'theturning over of the upper edge of the n eclr.- ylhe latter is made of malleable metal and the edge may be easily spun, rolled or peared to' form the plug locking bead 2a. Preferably thenozzle 11 is bent or Icurved or rotherwise positioned, as shown in Figs. `1 vand V6.V

Thereby the high velocity jet whichV issues -downward from the nozzle 11 is angalarly projected against the inner wall 2b ofthe chamber 2X within the body 2. As explained, the cross-sectionai area of the -nozzle 11 is very small in compariscn `with the cross-sectional area of the supply pipe k9 but nevertheless the area of the 4nozzle is or should be considerably larger than the ultimate emission orifice at the end of the line 13. .A proportion `of four to one is practical, and while insuring the momentary high velocity of entrance to the chamber 2X is large enough vto prevent' the closing 2of the nozzle l1 by accumulations of oil and dirt: l/Vhile Ydiscussing this pointit lshould be obvious that when this separator is placed in a line which contains internal scale the separator should be preceded by lal screen or poclet that -will serve to exclude the large ilales of scale from this relatively minuteV velocity-promoting nozzle. w f f It will be obvious that any liquids contained by the compressed air will be projected forcibly and angularly against the inner wall of the chamber 2X; the liquids adhere to the wall naturally and as naturally drain to the bottom of the chamber. Liquid accumulations may be discharged under prcssure through the valve 5r l The entrance of the high velocity coinpressed air is iinmedately followed by its lloss of velocity due 'to' the-free expansion vailo-rded. within the relatively enormous chamber 2X, and thevair moves 'toward the outlet 12 so slowly and through so large an approach .chamber (6) that it la'clrs anyV ability to raise moisture particles-to the outlet. Should moisture creep upward upon the inner walls of the chamger 2x it would be stopped by the anti-creepage rib before mentioned and marked 2y in Fig. 1.

If desired the lower part of the chamberVv 2X may be iilled with a porous mass'fll' of any suitable sort ca able ofvretainine' the inoi's- Vfp ture. However the chief duty of such filling is to prevent the splashing ofthe liquid accumulation by the velocity jetv issuing froin use the device 24 as the line valve.

Ywill also be observed inthe velocity nozzle l1a wliifchis straight, by way of contrast, with the bent nozzles at Figs. l and 6. The operation of the same'is the samein `principle. 'Obviously the nozzle 1141 of Fig. .5 may also `be bent or 'positioned amgularlyin the plug in order to insure the langular impact of the foreign substances uponthe` iside wall` of the chamber or pocket. A further difference comprises the skirt 3a which iis ,formed on the plug surrounding the outlet cavity '62 This skirt or flange 3 exten-ds below the top 15 of the separator pocket and serves vas the` anti-creepage rib before mentioned.

It is frequently convenient to make-the separating head and the collectionfpoclt after .the manner illustrated in Fig. 6; the

Vshape ofthe pocket, itsdiamet'er, etc., being relatively unimportant; while theV constructionof the head must vbe carefully planned.

lTheessential part of the device .comprises :the yT-shaped head 16. The cross arm'pcrtion is fitted to receive the incoming and outgoing pipe'connections '17 and 18 and con- 18. The lower part of the head isprovided with a pipe thread 1'9 -so that it may -be the shut olf Vand regulatingvalve 24. The

stem 24 passes through a suitable stuffing boir'25 and is squared at the upper end 'so that the valve may be conveniently manipu lated. This form of the device isspecially recommended for use at the hoseconnection ofthe paint sprayer or otherV user.- For it will prove 'both Yconvenient .and practical to it is best to close the line at this point when the sprayer is out of use, Vfor upon the next' opening'of the Vvalve all. water behind the valve willimmediately be discharged into the connecting pocket and thus be promptly v.disosed of. i

' Doubtless these separatorsfwill prove to lbe Vof value in pressure lines other 'than air lines, but their Vprimary 'value Ilies 1x1/their,`

Further tains respective inlet andV outlet ports. 17 :and

use in advance of users of small quantities of compressed air.

I-Iaving thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to sec-ure by Letters Patent l. A. moisture separator adapted for installation in a compressed fluid line supplying a relatively small quantity thereof and comprising a relatively capacious collecting pocket having inlet and outlet ports at its top, in combination with a relatively restricted and elongated velocity promoting admission nozzle leading and discharging downward from said inlet port and within the upper part of said pocket laterally against the wall of said pocket.

2. A moisture separator adapted for installation in a compressed fluid line supplying a relatively small quantity thereof and comprising a relatively capacious collecting pocket having inlet and outlet ports at its top, in combination with a relatively restricted and elongated velocity promoting admission nozzle leading and discharging downward from said inlet port and within the upper part of said pocket and the inner surfaceof said pocket presenting an anti-creepage rib in advance of said outlet port.

3. A. moisture separator adapted for installation in a compressed fluid line supplying a relatively small quantity thereof and comprising a relatively capacious collecting pocket having inlet and outlet ports in its top` in combina-tion with a relatively restricted and elongated admission nozzle curving downwardly from said inlet port and within the upper part of said pocket, formed and positioned to direct the foreign substances entrained by the compressed fluid obtusely against a vertical wall of said pocket.

4. The herein described separator head having a lower end formed for attachment to a collecting pocket of larger diameter, said head having transversely disposed inlet and outlet ports, a bore at right angles to and coinmunicating with said inlet port, an elongated velocity promoting nozzle of relatively restricted capacity leading downwardly from said here to a point below said head, the latter also having an outlet duct leading upward through the lower end thereof and into communication with said outlet port.

6. The herein described separator head having a lower end adapted for attachment to a collecting pocket of larger diameter, said head having transversely disposed inlet and outlet ports and a vertical bore communicating with said inlet port, a velocity promoting nozzle leading downward from said vertical bore and of much restricted capacity incomparison with said inlet and outlet ports, said head also containing an outlet duct which leads upward through the lower end thereof and into communication with said outlet port, and said head also having at its lower end an anti-creepage flange the interior of which defines a relatively large outlet cavity which communicates with the lower end of said duct.

7 The herein described separator head having a lower end adapted for attachment to a collecting pocket of larger diameter, said head having transversely disposed inlet and outlet ports and a vertical bore communicating with said inlet port, a velocity promoting nozzle leading downward from said vertical bore and of much restricted capacity in comparison with said inlet and outlet ports, said head also containing an outlet duct which leads upward through the lower end thereof and into communication with said outlet port,

and the upper part of said head containing a stop valve. y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of December, A. D. 1927.

CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY.

5. The herein described separator head K having a lower end formed for attachment to a collecting pocket of `larger diameter, said head having transversely disposed inlet and outlet ports and a vertical bore at right angles to and communicating with said inlet port, a curved velocity promoting nozzle of relatively restricted capacity leading from said vertical bore to a point beyond the end of said head, and said head also containing an outlet duct which leads upward through the lower end thereof and into communication with said j outlet port. 

